Film Review: ‘Buddy’ Finds the Horror in Children’s Programming

What if Barney the Dinosaur was a savage monster? That’s the central premise of Buddy, the feature debut of Casper Kelly, the mad genius behind Too Many Cooks. That bizarre aesthetic makes its way over here almost completely intact, so if that short delighted you, boy are you in for a treat. Likewise, if it befuddled you, this film will be a complete puzzle. For me, I got a kick out of the early sections of this movie, which kept me invested during the later portions, when things aren’t quite as compelling.

Buddy explores nostalgia for children’s programming, filtering it through a horror lens. Even if the flick didn’t work, I would have appreciated the swing by Kelly. The fact that he’s able to make something that perfectly spoofs shows like Barney & Friends or Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, showcasing both what kids loved, as well as what now seems off-putting, is easily commendable. Especially early on, the aesthetic is absolutely impeccable.

We start by watching a few brief episodes of It’s Buddy!, a children’s show named for its orange unicorn Buddy (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key). Teaching lessons to kids, alongside colorful characters like talking backpack Strappy (Patton Oswalt). However, something feels off in the first episode, and when one of the kids on the show reject’s Buddy’s lesson, he disappears, leaving only a bloody book. It goes like this for a bit, with cast member Freddy (Delaney Quinn) starting to realize the danger that lurks inside Buddy. This leads her to urge the surviving kids to try to escape Buddy and head to the magical land of Diamond City.

We then meet Grace (Cristin Milioti) in the real world, who lives with her husband Ben (Topher Grace) and two kids. Grace is convinced they had a third child, which no one remembers, and the appearance of Buddy on the television sends her into a fit. Before long, she’s sucked into the television, and the show, becoming a nurse on It’s Buddy! and bearing witness to Buddy’s cruelty. A fight for survival then beigns.

Keegan-Michael Key’s voice work as Buddy is spot on, while Cristin Milioti makes for a very solid horror heroine. Key is able to showcase just enough of the evil, even when Buddy is just urging kids to dance, so you’re consistently unsettled. Milioti plays things fairly straight, which takes a little of the fun away, but leads to a quality performance. Topher Grace is a welcome presence but wasted, while Delaney Quinn is exactly what you need her to be. In addition to Patton Oswalt, supporting players include Eric Bauza, Devon Hawkes Ludlow, Michael Shannon, and more.

Casper Kelly directs a screenplay he co-wrote with Jamie King, showcasing an ability to extend his creativity from a short to a feature. While Too Many Cooks is just absolute lunacy, Buddy only begins that way. At the same time, even as the flick becomes more of just a fun horror outing in the second half, there’s still a lot Kelly and King are saying about nostalgia, so it’s not just genre mayhem. At this point, I’m fascinated to see what Kelly makes next.

Buddy is too weird to be for all horror movie fans, to be sure, but those with an interest in the bizarre, as well as Too Many Cooks fans, will likely dig what Kelly has come up with here. The film is not without some pacing issues and small flaws, but as a largely realized concept, you have to tip your cap to him. Here’s to an ambitious voice in independent cinema getting to play more going forward!

SCORE: ★★★